O.k. -- we all know politicking is a nasty bit of business. It is a popularity contest, and those with the best hairdos usually win.

But we are hoping you'll go that extra step and take a moment to exercise your online civic duty, and let the Florida Democratic party know that you appreciate someone is working to spread sanity in the swamp. Vote HERE; voting closes July 10th.

Rules:You MUST VOTE for questions #1, 2, 10, 21 and 22 in order for the ballot to be counted -- *those questions followed by an asterisk. (Please also vote for #18, in which we are also running.) Your choices for 1, 10 and 21 should not be difficult. Choices 2 & 22 are matters of your own discretion.

We here at RAW aren't too dumb to figure out that winning elections is usually a matter of who-knows-who (the Netroots awards ARE administered by a wing of the Florida Democratic Party, after all.) And it seems that most nominees are affiliated with various candidates, programs or campaigns, and so come with a pre-set voting bloc. Not to be neurotic, you see ...

Well, RangerAgainstWar is not in anyone's pockets. We are wildcatters, and every one of our votes is hard-won. Do it as a thanks for a free-thinkin' Ranger; do it as a "get-well" gesture for Lisa. But for whatever reason you do it -- please DO IT!

We really would like to be good members of the Netroots community. We're kind of in a remote outpost up here in the sticks, 10 hours from SoBe. But we wash up alright, and we'd attend their banquet down South should we win something.

We'd like to win something, and we feel we are pretty good Democrats. When we were presented with the 2008 Netroots award, we were told with some barely veiled disdain that the hob-nobbers in South Florida had never heard of us. Well, someone had, and after two re-counts, they couldn't shake us. We are not part of the club (every party has its old-boys network), and that is why you like us (we think).

We don't have much truck in being politically correct, but you forgive us our occasional lack of couth. Nothing is too absurd, and we are very reader-friendly (even if you are "Claymore" from the Texas National Guard -- provided you don't use the "b" word; we have our standards, y'know.)

Thank you for taking an extra moment out of your busy day. You have our eternal gratitude.